Islam as Public Philosophy

Abstract

Surveying the structure of Islamic public philosophy over 100 years, this chapter identifies two major approaches: instrumental reason and hermeneutics. The instrumentalists present Islam as an instrument to solve problems. The hermeneuts, by contrast, present Islam as an educational project designed to elevate the intellectual capacities of humanity. The instrumentalists argue that humans should be capable of knowing god’s intentions, whereas the hermeneuts argue that this knowledge is not available to humans with certainty. Overall, whereas the instrumentalists see the proper role of the pious person to consist in applying god’s law, the hermeneuts see that role to consist of interpreting god’s intention. One approach sees divinity as external to the self, whereas the other see it as existing in dialectical relation to it. The chapter charts out the genealogies of each school in various countries, and analyzes the relationship of each to competing secular discourses, including anti-colonial nationalism and the debates on the character of the modern state.